Jess Park, the 21-year-old Manchester City player, has had to leave England's Women's World Cup squad due to a shoulder injury. The midfielder was on the Lionesses' standby list ahead of the tournament set to commence next month in Australia and New Zealand. However, during training with the Lionesses in preparation for the warm-up game against Portugal at Stadium MK on July 1st, Jess Park was forced to withdraw and return to her original club, Manchester City, for recovery. The club has confirmed her shoulder injury.
Lucy Staniforth, formerly of Manchester United and currently with Aston Villa, has been called up as her replacement.
In May, Jess Park suffered a shoulder injury while on loan with Everton during a training session. The injury cut short her time with the Toffees, despite her making 22 appearances and contributing significantly with 3 goals and 4 assists. Her performances helped Everton secure a 6th place finish in the WSL. At Manchester City, Park made 57 appearances, scored 9 goals, and was awarded the club's 2021/2022 Rising Star Award.
Her consistent performances earned her a spot in the senior England squad, and she made her debut in November 2022, scoring a goal as a late substitute in a 4-0 friendly win against Japan. This performance brought her into consideration for a potential place in Sarina Wiegman's World Cup squad. Park has previously scored 2 goals in 17 international appearances for England.
While Park has been undergoing rehabilitation with Manchester City since returning from Merseyside, her injury has unfortunately led to her withdrawal from England's standby list. Staniforth joins Maya Le Tissier and Emily Ramsay on standby, and they will remain with the squad until England's first game on July 22nd against Haiti in Brisbane, Australia.
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